Karrigan'Xalda
Daughter of the Karishzar
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
Intent: Sub a cult. Expand on the Xioquo.
Image Credit: Here. By Sarah Mirza Art.
Canon: N/A.
Permission: Can use Firemane stuff because I write the company's owner.
Links: Twilight of the Goddess, Liavondra, Quas'Ziru, Order of Fire, Karrigan'Xalda, Into Darkness, Seekers of the Sky, After Darkness, Tygara, Initiation of the Phoenix Daughter, Firemane Industries, House Kerrigan, Siobhan, Zhiva Khalan, Zaldrani.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Organization Name: Daughters of the Destroyer. Karish'zar Qis'khar'i'z in Xio.
Classification: Religious Sect.
Affiliation: Quas'Ziru, Xioquo, Karrigan'Xalda, Elpsis Kerrigan, Benefactors of the Karishzar's Mercy, Karrigan'Lalax.
Organization Symbol: Circle with downward facing triangle piercing the sky.
Description: The Daughters of the Destroyer are a Xioquo cult that arose in the aftermath of the fall of the Underealm. They venerate the Karishzar, who is regarded as a powerful Xio spirit, and see themselves as a legion of faithful acolytes and warriors. It is rather influential in Xioquo society. Their leader is Quas'Ziru, a fomer slave who rose to the position of Priestess of Myrou under the old regime, until she ran afoul of court politics and was betrayed. The Daughters combine religious zealotry with Xioquo nationalism. While not a military organisation, they have a strong martial orientation, viewing themselves as the vanguard of the Xioquo and as crusaders of their idol.
GEOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION
Headquarters: The Illuminatrix, a Vigilance Class Frigate originally provided by Firemane. They have a presence in various Xioquo settlements.
Domain: The Daughters do not rule territory per se, but they have a strong presence in Tlaxqui, the subterranean home of the Xioquo, as well as on the Sky Cavern Worldships the drows have settled on. An example for the latter would be the Caverns of the Overealm, the main worldship of the Xioquo. The Daughters are part of the local Xioquo communities and recruit their members from them. The level of influence the Daughters have in these communities varies. Queen Liavondra of the Xioquo recognises their value, but is keen to ensure they do not grow too powerful. Moreover, their valour in battle has earned them the respect of a number of Xio, especially from the lower classes. The same applies to their efforts to aid emancipated slaves. Moreover, there is an eastern clan of the Daughters that dwells in the frozen Northlands of Tygara. This sect is independent of the western Tlaxqui branch, though they are becoming aware of each other.
Notable Assets: The Xioquo are poor, so the Daughters do not have any large-scale industrial facilities or similar. Firemane gave them a few corvettes and some frigates to enable them to find their way into the stars. There are individual Daughters who run agri-farms, hospitals or minor factories and the like in Tlaxqui. The Daughters largely fund themselves via member donations, though they have also used the war against Firemane to loot.
SOCIAL INFORMATION
Hierarchy: They are organised in small cells called hosts, which are led by a Host Commander. These form chapters, each led by a Centurion and Priestess. Overall authority is vested in the Champion of the Destroyer, who acts as a High Priestess, who is assisted by a conclave of clerics. Their self-perception as warrior-priestesses is reflected in their martial titltes. Several of the high-ranking clerics of the cult are Force-Sensitive, though their degree of training varies. The most martially inclined Force-using cultists are drawn to militant sects like the Heralds of the Destroyer and the assassin cult of the Tecpatli.
Membership: Must be a female Xioquo. Must be prepared to show their loyalty and swear a blood oath to the Destroyer. Former slaves, lower caste members and individuals who were persecuted by the old order are preferred. Force-users who join the cult tend to be darksiders or grey. Light Siders are more commonly drawn to the Seekers of the Sky, who have the support of Queen Lia, though there are exceptions.
Climate: The climate is defined by a mixture of fervent faith, Byzantine politics and competition for favour. The Daughters prefer to recruit their members from among those who suffered under the old régime, namely former slaves, members of the lower castes etc. This fosters a spirit of solidarity. The Xioquo have benefited from their patron, which increases their religious fervour. However, the sect is also steeped in the Dark Side. On the one hand they stress teamwork, honour, dedication and loyalty, but the power they draw upon encourages selfishness and cruelty.
The Daughters reject the discord and chaos of the old ways and seek to pursue a more rational approach of harnessing the power of Darkness. However, this obviously cannot eliminate its potentially corrupting influence. Quas'Ziru had to impose her will upon the group and thwart the ambitions of rivals who were jealous of her position. It should be noted that not everyone in the cult is a fanatic. Some are pragmatists who recognise their patron's power and pay lip service because it benefits them. As a result, the cult has imposed stringent tests to weed out opportunists and potential fifth columnists, as they are concerned about old guard loyalists trying to infiltrate the group. At the same time, the cult has several honest members who are concerned with aiding their people.
Because literacy is rare among the Xioquo, the trials a potential acolyte must face tend to be practical in nature, testing a recruit's strength, willpower and devotion. This can take the form of trials where a recruit is seemingly given the chance to betray the cult or personally profit from a fellow Xioquo's misfortune. If they come across someone who seems to be a spy, will they strike, accept a bribe or let the spy go out of a misplaced sense of mercy? This is quite manipulative, but it is one thing to do the talk and another to walk the walk. The punishments for betrayal and cowardice are draconian. The cult has conservative family values and upholds the belief that Xioquo females are superior to men. Cult members are encouraged to educate themselves, become literate and acquire knowledge about foreign tech so that they can pass it on to their people. To this end, the cult runs various schools and organises exchange programmes.
One thing that has changed in recent years is that some Daughters have chosen to replace the name Karrigan with Qiskhar - which means Daughter in Xio. To take Karishzar as a surname would be considered presumptuous and would emphasise the destruction rather than the familial aspect. Xio names are more about family and clan than emphasising a connection to a deity. The reason for the change is that while Siobhan originally freed them and carried the flame of the Karishzar, later on she betrayed them. The Daughters who have made the change argue that they can show their faith in the Karishzar that way. There is also a political aspect, as those Daughters who call themselves Qiskhar do not regard Elpsis' position as Siobhan's daughter as important. The Daughters want to continue using the core tenets but distance themselves from Siobhan's personal lineage.
Reputation: Their reputation is mixed. For those that know about the Daughters, several view them with suspicion and unease. They are a religious cult who even though they are tightly controlled have a reputation for being unstable fanatics. Many Firemane officials were either uncomfortable or disparaged them and viewed them as useful to manipulate. Since their rebellion, Firemane is openly hostile. At the same time this has caused the Daughters' reputation among Xioquo to soar. But there are still Xioquo who view them as a throwback to a more disturbing time or see their patriotic credentials as questionable due to their past association with Firemane's leaders. Their relationship with the Seekers of the Sky, a light side sect that follows Queen Liavondra's teachings, is complicated. However, for several other Xioquo they are an example of how to ascend and expand themselves, to be emulated and followed. Their social works have won them grudging respect from detractors, though there is a suspicion that their efforts have ulterior motives.
Curios: A link from a broken chain, symbolising their liberation from the oppression of the old order. Tattoos are also common. These tend to display the group sigil, a broken chain or have martial themes. A number of senior leaders carry Force imbued blades.
Rules: The Daughters of the Destroyer are an all-female, Xioquo cult that used to worships Siobhan Kerrigan as a deity. They referred to her as the Karishzar, which is the Xio word for Destroyer. In the old days, the Xioquo worshipped their goddess Mystra, or, as they call her, Myrou. To them she was their creator (which is technically true, as she is the first of her race) and from her the Force flowed and empowered their children. Minor deities were also worshipped, but all were subordinate to Mystra. They believed that she slept beneath Tlaxqui and would one day rise and judge her people. The faithful who would have proven their worth to take over Tygara, the weak would be purged. In the meantime, a scheming cabal of slaveholding, dark side matriarchs ruled in her name. Many of these beliefs were shattered when their subterranean realm fell to the Tygaran Alliance. Myrou was awakened by desperate matriarchs, but turned out to be a menace to her own people, feeding on Xioquo and enemy soldiers alike to increase her power. Ultimately she was slain by Siobhan Kerrigan with the help of her allies.
The Daughters of the Destroyer believe that by killing Myrou, the Karishzar set her people free, as she also put an end to slavery, setting countless Xioquo free. In the eyes of the cultists, this made Siobhan worthy of worship. Detractors - both among the Xioquo and outside of them - accuse the Daughters of being cultists slavishly devoted to Siobhan Kerrigan. While Siobhan freed the Xioquo from the tyrannical regime of the Council and Myrou and abolished slavery, she proved to be a despot herself and made pacts with the cruel mistresses and masters.
Firemane was run by Siobhan and her wife Tegaea before the latter fully embraced sloth and decadence, and was already responsible for numerous crimes under their reign even before she was struck down. Fanatical devotion to Siobhan was a cornerstone of the Daughters' faith because they regarded her as their liberator, but they have also always been Xioquo nationalists who recruited most of their members from the lower classes.
Moreover, at some point religious movements evolve and outgrow their founding figures, even as they use their memory to inspire and rally people. Centuries pass, and the modern practitioners of a faith may well be advocating for things that are in all likelihood wholly at odds with what their original prophets envisioned. Eventually religions can undock from the 'real' person and write their own stories.
The Xioquo believe in spirits - spirits of the earth, fire, water, darkness, air and the ancestors and numerous other aspects. The spirits are infinite and can appear to and inspire, among other things, people. The Karishzar is one such spirit. For a time she was embodied by Siobhan, for she chose the brave warrior to unleash the purifying flame on the oppressors and cast them down into the abyss. However, the Karishzar and Siobhan continued to exist with distinct, separate natures. One was divine, the other was mortal, and both retained their own will. However, over time Siobhan succumbed to mortal temptations. Despite the Karishzar's best efforts, she gave in to greed, pride and hunger for power. More than a few Daughters believe that her wife Tegaea, a selfish and greedy woman, played a big role in perverting Siobhan's intentions and led her astray. As a result, the Karishzar separated from Siobhan, who ultimately met her downfall at the hands of the Sith Lord Soteria. This was her divine punishment for turning her back on the Karishzar's will. Some say that Siobhan repented in her final moments, claiming the fact that she did not flinch despite being weakened showed she had recognised her sins. Elpsis, the Heir, cleansed her sins with her purifying flame. The Daughters know her as sister Karrigan'Alpsis.
The Karishzar continues to exist, is deserving of veneration and can intervene in this world, but many think she is no longer purely embodied by a mortal champion, but instead by the collective. An individual can err and give into temptation, after all. The one can fall, but the sisterhood endures. It is becoming increasingly popular to believe that the Karishzar has taken many forms over the centuries. Thus she may one day choose to be embodied again, but her ideals remain valid even during the time she spends in occultation. Thus the Daughters have an obligation to strive for what the Karishzar aimed to do - abolition of slavery, uplifting of the Xio, promoting sisterhood and freeing their people from tyrants. A few go so far to postulate that the Karishzar did not only mean to free the Xio, but all oppressed Tygarans. To the Daughters, serving the Karishzar and opposing the wicked is their ticket to a good 'interview' with the spirits assembled, and entitles them to a good place in paradise. They do not, however, believe that the Karishzar rules heaven itself, though she is regarded as a higher being. Those who live worthy lives go into the earth (heaven is down) and reunite with the spirits of their ancestors. The wicked will be adjudged by those they wronged and cast out into the uneding light and heat, where they will suffer eternal torment. Aside from the Karishzar, they also revere the traditional spirits in the Xioquo pantheon. The memory of Siobhan is still used to rally people. Those who stress its importance essentially divide her into two persons - the just liberator Siobhan and the despotic Siobhan who had grown haughty, power-hungry and callous.
However, they also have a rather apocalyptic mind set and see themselves as a martial organisation. Those who fight and die worthily in the cause of the Destroyer are assured paradise. The Destroyer has a benign side, but is also dangerous, and must be appeased by shedding the blood of her enemies. Unsurprisingly, the Daughters value martial aptitude highly.
Xioquo are the least wedded to the necessity of biological children. They make no distinction between adopted and biological ones: a child is yours if you acknowledge it. Thus the cultists all consider themselves the Destroyer's daughters. Xioquo are the most sexist of all the Eldorai races - and that's saying something - so the cult is only open to Xioquo females, while males only have what amounts to an associate status. This is regarded as the will of the Karishzar. They hate slavers and show them no mercy.
On a practical side, the cult encourages its members to familiarise themselves with modern technology, including medicine, starships, droids and cybernetics. Xioquo are said to have metal minds. For Tygara the Xioquo were quite advanced technologically. Scientists, doctors, machinists and engineers are held in high regard by the cult, for they produce the tools that allow the faithful to flourish. The Daughters see no contradiction between science and religion. Indeed, they maintain that one reinforces the other. Thus they see it as their duty to acquire, record, guard and pass on the knowledge to construct advanced technology. The majority of the Xioquo were slaves and thus did not learn how to read or write. So the cult strives to improve literacy, viewing this as a sacred obligation. The Daughters see this as the battle of the mind. It is likened to the battle of the sword, which is fought by warriors. One is fought with the pen, the other with the sword, but both are vital.
Goals: Spread the Word of the Karishzar, combat her enemies, expand, empower, uplift and educate the Xioquo, and promote the faith and good works.
MEMBERS
Quas'Ziru is the leader of the Daughters, holding the titles of High Priestess and Champion of the Destroyer. Once a slave before being made a priestess of Mystra, she was betrayed and would have been sacrificed to the primordial Xioquo if Siobhan Kerrigan had not slain her. Driven, ruthless and zealous, she is the product of a vicious environment. She celebrated Siobhan's cleansing purge and at the time came to see her as a worthier queen. Ziru is undoubtedly a religious zealot, but a clever one who has survived many power plays and was good at interpreting her idol's edicts in ways that benefit her cause. The priestess desires order, albeit after a darker fashion. She can be a caring mother figure to her flock, but is also capable of great ruthlessness. She wants herself and the Xioquo to ascend. While she regards herself as a warrior-priestess, she stresses the importance of education and attaining mastery over outsider tech. Today, she leads the Daughters in a holy war on Firemane. Moreover, she promotes the idea that the Karishzar has taken many forms over the centuries, rather than being tied to Siobhan. She has a fearsome command of pyrokinesis and fire shaping, drain life and mental powers such as Summon Fear.
One of Ziru's proteges is Karrigan'Xalda, a Herald of the Destroyer. Enslaved as a little child under the ancien régime, she eventually became a slave-soldier. She gained her freedom when her mistress sent her to Siobhan as a 'gift', with secret orders to assassinate Firemane's leader. However, Xalda began to develop doubts when the 'Karishzar' treated her with kindness. Siobhan saw through her guise, but forgave her, which made Xalda loyal to her. She took Karrigan as a her surname after her liberator slew Mystra. Today Xalda is one of the cult's warrior-priestesses. She holds the position of a Host Commander, making her responsible for a cell. Fierce and devoted, she is a kind woman, but wrathful to the enemies of the Daughters and the Xioquo people.
Xalda participated in the Tephrike campaign and was decorated for her bravery, but was traumatised when Firemane's enemy, the Dominion of Light, sent a unit of Younglings on a futile death charge to cover their leadership's retreat. Xalda was forced to fire on the Younglings. She helped bury them in the aftermath, praying that the Mother Earth would grant their souls peace. Today, she is a close companion and battle-sister of Elpsis, having risen against Firemane's tyranny.
Qiskhar'Xihuitl (NPC): One of the senior clerics and power brokers of the sect. Whereas Ziru is the inspirational prophetess, Xihuitl runs the bureaucratic apparatus. She is responsible for organisational matters, educating people about modern technology and supervises many of the cult's social projects. She was a slave machinist who managed to raise herself up and is now a bit of a technophile who is eager to learn about offworld technology and adapt it to Xioquo use. She was an early convert, and now resents the old elite finding ways to squeeze themselves in. Hence she gives them a very hard time when they try to apply as recruits.
She is less charismatic, but also less intense than Ziru, so outsiders tend to find her more pleasant to deal with. Zai’Itzcatl is a Centurion and leads one of the largest regional divisions within the sect. She is similar to Xalda in that she has a lot of anger in her and is a warrior with a strong martial ethos. In the aftermath of Myrou's demise, she led a vigilante squad that took revenge on the deposed 'wise mistresses'. However, she is less trusting of foreign technology and prefers to place her trust in the Force. This is partly because it does not make her reliant on foreigners. She still favours some aspects of the old ways, and is not too happy about the fact that blood sacrifices are no longer allowed. It was Xihuitl who used back channels to propose a change that would eventually become the guiding ideology: the Karishzar was bigger than Siobhan and even Elpsis and that the spirit which drove them maintained a separate existence. The guiding ethos would remain and retain power, but the Daughters would not shackle themselves to a fallible mortal champion.
Arqui'Taxlsa (NPC): She is the commander of the Heralds of the Destroyer and thus Xalda's commanding officer. Strong, brave and tough, she is also a rival to Ziru and a bit of a schemer. While she genuinely disliked the old order, she was also an active part of it. Fought with distinction against the ill-fated Qadiri assault on the Underealm, when the army of the Mirza of Lakish was defeated by the Xioquo. When Firemane tore down the old order, her mistress wanted to fight to the death for Myrou by carrying on a protacted guerilla war from the depths of the Underealm. However, Taxlsa killed her and ensured an orderly surrender to the invaders. Indeed, she helped the occupation force ensure security, suppress looting and provided information on surviving players of the ancien régime.
These actions helped put her in good standing, especially with Zhiva Khalan, a Falleen GRU agent who became her handler. When the new order took shape, the former servitor was ready to make a smooth transition. She is too valuable and effective to remove, but Ziru has her doubts about how trustworthy she is. Taxlsa has been very eager to bring the Heralds into the future by equipping them with modern weapons, combining old Xioquo tactics with new tactical doctrines. She fought Kraal raiders who attacked the Underealm and is eager to see the Xioquo warriors gain experience on the modern battlefield. Today, she leads her warriors in battle against Firemane's tyrannical rule.
Alpsis'Karrigan: More commonly known as Elpsis Kerrigan. To some she is the Heir of the Destroyer, to others a sister among many. Elpsis is personally the most comfortable in the latter role. For good or ill, she represents Siobhan's legacy, though she personally hates her adoptive mother. Most Daughters respect her because Elpsis decisively turned against Firemane and taken command of a rebel insurgency against it. Within the sisterhood, Elpsis conducts herself as a militant sister among many, though many of the Karrigans regard her as their house head.
Karrigan'Lalax (NPC): Lalax is a priestess of the Daughters of the Destroyer. She holds the title of Centurion. Her experiences under the ancien regime have shaped her into a dedicated, but somewhat unconventional devotee of the cult. She was born a free woman, but it was easy for a freeborn Xioquo to be enslaved under the ancien regime. Punishment for crimes, demotion by the whim of one’s Lady or being captured in battle were all easy ways to be enslaved.
Lalax was a bard and a poet. However, one of her performances was secretly satirical and judged to be seditionist. She suffered public humiliation and punishment, before being branded and collared. She was enslaved by a priestess, who was a dedicated follower of Myrou and fond of threatening to sacrifice her to the dark goddess. Lalak suffered physical and mental abuse, but her intellect and literacy kept her from being sent to the mines. Instead she was employed as a scribe. While she was Force-Sensitive, her affinity for the Force was too weak to merit serious training. This meant that she was not considered dangerous to keep as a slave.
Her time as the priestess' slave gave her a dim view of traditional religion until the Karishzar came. Unable to bear the defeat, her mistress decided to commit suicide and take her slaves with her. Fortunately, Lavax found out what she intended to do and switched the poison for a fake and played dead until her mistress poisoned herself. Lalax played a role in the post-war cleanup. Her role as a scribe had made her privy to secrets which helped convict some nasty people. Her strong code made her a good judge and advocate, who gave proof for and against convicted nobles of the old order if she believed them innocent or guilty.
Lalax is one of the Daughters, but in a mild way. She takes a philosophical view of the Karishzar as a prophetess or demigoddess and believes that her strength is what makes her worshipful. Thus she has a more intellectual view of the cult's icon, but still reaches the same conclusion. Nonetheless, Lalak is a good preacher and well-liked, though there are clerics who believe her views are too heterodox. She is adept at selling the story of the Karishzar, having written religious text in favour of Siobhan and the new settlement. She is something of a leader and a good influence on the extended Karrigan 'family'. Her views also make her useful for marketing when dealing with non-cult members or foreigners, as she is more approachable than say Quas'Ziru, the leader of the Daughters, who has been described as unsettling and very intense. She is a close companion of Elpsis, and participated in the assault on Fort Kerrigan, where she served as the standard-bearer of the rebels. She also designed the rebel flag, which she carried into battle.
Qiskhar'Anzar (NPC): Anzar is what the Daughters purport to be and perhaps a harbinger of what might be their future. Born into a low class, prole family, Anzar has known hardship and oppression. Both have left her with bitter hatred for the old elites, as well as the human enchainers who have sought to take their place. As a child, she worked in shoe factories and cobblers' shops. The rich mistresses treated her like dirt, and this left her with a keen sense of hatred for 'these parasites and bloodsuckers, and, at the time a deep sense of solidarity, love, and respect for my sisters in caste in need, suffering the same as myself. The mansions of the privileged few were built on the bones and tears of the many, my people.' Anzar was one of those Xio who were lured by a Firemane shell company and Xio collaborators to a 'new horizons' work camp on Arkas.
Officially it was supposed to be a scheme to provide Xio with jobs, and vocational training. In truth, it was indentured servitude. She was imprisoned for 'causing trouble' after she led a workers' strike and sabotaged machines. While in jail, she went on a hunger strike for equal treatment of Xio prisoners. As her health deteriorated, her actions inspired further workers' unrest despite the brutal punishments meted out by the oversees. She was force-fed by the wardens to keep her from becoming a martyr. Not long after the start of the war she was broken out and helped lead rebellion to overthrow the camp managers. Anzar is a militant sister, somewhat xenophobic and has a well-earned reputation as a revolutionary agitator and firebrand priestess. She does not like Siobhan or even Elpsis that much, but views the sisterhood as a way for the Xioquo to show their power and unity. Anzar believes in the 'Path of the Many', She has been influenced by socialist literature spread by Tephriki exiles, but combines these tenets with Xioquo mysticism. As a believer in a social gospel, she promotes the idea of collective responsibility to create a more just society. In her view, the teachings of the Karishzar compel the faithful to fight for the poor, the oppressed, and the lower castes. She has gained notoriety for raiding Firemane luxury resorts, industrial sites and work camps.
Qiskhar'Kalou (NPC): A Xioquo assassin, former slave and a close friend of Karrigan'Xalda. Both used to be slave-soldiers. The mistresses used to train their martial servitors in the so called March of the Mamluks and made them put on a show for them. The two first met as dance partners. They later worked together to kill their mistresses. Both are members of the Daughters of the Destroyer, and belong to the extended Karrigan family. This makes them Elpsis' sisters in spirit. Among some of her friends she is known as Mistress Viper. This is both a reference to her affinity for poisons as well as her ability to pass as one of the highborn of society. Moreover, she has an affinity for snakes. She is talented in covert operations and espionage, able to switch from playing the part of the cold, haughty to mistress to militant warrior or friendly sister near seamlessly. She is also very good at music.
When Elpsis was investigating allegations of Firemane officials engaging in corrupt practices and luring Xioquo into indentured servitude in company towns, the high priestess of the Daughters assigned Kalou and a strike force of battle sisters to aid her. Together, they destroyed a forced labour camp run by a Firemane shell company, and liberated the serfs. Moreover, Kalou played an important role during the assault on Fort Kerrigan, having infiltrated the base as a cleaner. She used her disguise as well as her past as a slave-soldier to get close to Xioquo Sepoys such as Narsh, and help sway their loyalties. Finally, she foiled the base commander's escape attempt. Today, she works in the TALA's espionage branch, and serves as a liaison to Xioquo assassin cults.
Kalou is one of the Daughters who shed the Karrigan name, and instead call themselves Qiskhar, which is the Xio word for Daughter. It is a way for her to show she holds true to the core tenets of the Karishzar, but has distanced herself from Siobhan. Moreover, it emphasises the viewpoint that the Daughters are a sisterhood.
Karrigan'Karou (NPC): A former slave Xioquo veteran of many battles in the deserts of Amikaron and the jungles of Khajwar, Karou is one of the many members of the extended Karrigan family and has ties to the Daughters. Her face is scarred and one of her ears clipped in the old days for being 'uppity'. Tough and with a dark sense of humour, she feels intense hatred for the old mistresses. Karou crossed paths with Elpsis during the latter's visit to Tlaxqui, and took part in the assault on Firemane's forced labour camp on Arkas.
At the time Karou was living in poverty. There was little for her in the Underealm. Moreover, Elpsis offered her a chance at crushing overmighty fools who thought themselves above her, and paid well. Since then she has played a role in rallying members of the Tlaxqui underclasses and former mamluks to her cause, and participated in the assault on Fort Kerrigan. Karou favours hard-hitting weapons such as shotguns, bolters, axes and maces. She likes the power these weapons give her. A practical woman at heart with a cynical and grounded view of the world, she is no cultist of the 'Karishzar' or her 'Heir'. However, she is loyal when treated well. She respects strength and commitment, not blind worship.
Karrigan'Xois (NPC) - a male Xio who has skills as a diplomat. He used to be a 'personal attendant' for a highborn lady. He has since a great dislike for privilege and class. He gives away all he can to the poor, choosing to live humbly. Xois dislikes sexism, but is a bit himself towards wealthy women. Today, he works for the Benefactors of the Karishzar's Mercy, the social welfare arm of the Daughters. While the Daughters themselves are a sisterhood and males are limited to joining an auxiliary men's wing, the Benefactors accept males. But he is given less glamorous assignments that do not get a lot of credit because of sexism. His bosses tend to send him on 'outreach' assignment outside of the Underealm. This includes going on trips to nice, sunny and bright regions, too. The rays of the sun are painful for Xio, so he has to wear covering robes and sunglasses when out in the sunlight.
Xois is understandably not too happy about this, but patient, dogged and methodical. He makes the most of it because it has allowed him to see places most of the sisters will never lay eyes upon. He has conducted trips to remote Xio communities that live outside the Underealm. An example would be the cold, icy north, where some have joined the Zaldrani or the Kar'zun. He has even encountered members of the lost eastern clan of the Daughters. He has been involved in organising the return of Xioquo who were taken captive and enslaved by the Qadiri. He has also helped refugees displaced by the war as well as fugitives fleeing Firemane 'vocational training centres'. Due to his foreign contacts, Xois can speak and understand Zandri and Basic.
HISTORICAL INFORMATION
Xioquo society has always been steeped in the Dark Side. For centuries, the drows were governed by a ruthless mageocracy where only those who pursued the path of Darkness ended up on the top. Thousands laboured as slaves to serve the whims of the mistresses who sat on the top of the pyramid. The disobedient were brutally punished and often sacrificed in ghastly rituals to power war machines or be turned into abominations. Believing that Tygara was theirs by right and that one day their 'demigoddess' Mystra would awaken to lead them to conquer Tygara, the Xioquo warred against their neighbours and rivals, the Qadiri and Vashyada. While the technologically most advanced of Tygara's natives, their low population, incessant power struggles and the constant need to be on their guard against slave revolts kept them from fulfilling their potential. The subterranean queendom of the Underealm became both their home and their prison.
Xioquo society was steeped in faith. All were meant to worship Myrou, but Xio also venerated the spirits of fire, water, earth, darkness and air. The spirits, it was taught, was eternal. And this birthed a clandestine tradition of subversion. Xio dissident cults preached the coming of an avenger called the Karishzar, which means Destroyer in the Xioquo language. The modern Daughters postulate that the Karishzar has taken many forms over the centuries. A couple hundred years ago, the Xioquo fought the 'Battle on the Ice' against the Zaldrani of the Northlands. Many Xio ships were sunk. The tale has been immortalised by Zaldrani storytellers. But it is also said that a Xioquo slave inspired a rebellion during the critical moment, stealing some ships and supplies. She and her followers were unintentionally helped by the Zaldrani priestesses and their warriors. This legendary Xio was called Nara'Ishzar, but she would become known to her followers as Qiskhar'Ishzar. She led her people on a perilous journey into an unknown land, but eventually they found a new home in the eastern mountains. To the eastern clan she is the first Karishzar.
Centuries later, nemesis came to the Underealm, when a coalition of Firemane, Eldorai and Qadiri forces invaded their territory, defeated their armies and war beasts, and finally slew Mystra herself. By that time many Xioquo had become disillusioned with their creator since she fed on them just as enthusiastically as on their enemies. Slaves rebelled, seeing a chance to cast down their chains, and the remaining mistresses finally capitulated. Trials were held for several war criminals, slavery was abolished and a new government was set up. The present Queen of the Xioquo, Liavondra, is an adept of the Light Side, who seeks to lead her people on a better path. However, change is difficult to bring about and thus has to proceed in slow steps. Slowly weaning them off despotism, and reclaiming their independence would take time. A number of Xioquo exploited their new freedom to explore what lies beyond the Underealm, and eventually Tygara. Several of these more adventurous drows joined Firemane's ranks.
During her campaign, the Xioquo had conferred the title of Karishzar upon Siobhan Kerrigan. To many freed slaves, it became the title of a liberator, for it showed the hated mistresses feared her. A select number of Xioquo went a step further and came to see the Karishzar as a Goddess. By slaying Mystra, she had taken her place and set the dark elves free. Fittingly, the founder of the Daughters of the Destroyer was a former priestess. Her name was Qas'Ziru. Ziru was born a slave. Beaten and abused by her mistresses, she was trained as a slave-soldier after her Force-Sensitivity was discovered. To survive, she had to harden her heart and become part of a cruel system. She managed to earn her freedom by siding with the right matriarch during a power struggle within the house of her owners. Now a free woman, she was made a priestess of Mystra, responsible for carrying our the sacred rites, including blood sacrifices. She settled down, married and had children.
Then the sky-people descended upon Tygara and the Xioquo declared war on them. Ziru and her patron were found wanting in their faith in final victory, arrested and purged. Ziru's husband and children were butchered, for the totalitarian régime had branded her a traitor. When Mystra arose from her slumber, the dark one required sacrificial lambs to feed on to fuel her power. Ziru was one of those who should have been fed to her. Being tormented by Xioquo inquisitors had left Ziru deeply scarred and more than a little unhinged. However, she was saved from getting her own heart torn out when Siobhan Kerrigan slew Mystra. Ziru witnessed the dark one's destruction. This moment changed her life forever. To her it was no simple liberation. It was a divine revelation. Rejecting Mystra as a tyrant, she came to see the woman who had slain her as someone who deserved worship and appreciated it.
Ziru was one of many freed, malnourished prisoners who were fed, clothed and cared for by the Firemane-led liberation force in the aftermath of the fall of the Underealm. Unlike many of them, she took her gratitude to extreme lengths. She was probably not in the stablest frame of mind. Either way, she began preaching what she considered to be the word of the Destroyer. Her first followers were found among freed slaves. Firemane's assault on the Underealm had triggered a revolt in the slave pens, with the slaves taking revenge on the guards and mistresses. As it became clear the battle could not be won, many slave-soldiers had laid down their arms and surrendered to the invaders.
At first, the occupation authorities were wary of the cult. Religious zealotry could easily turn into a source of unrest. The cult was rather willing to help the occupation, provide mutual aid to former slaves and combat crime. But it had a tendency towards taking the law into its own hands. Many of its members had been wronged by the old order and this was a convenient time to settle scores. However, new administration needed order, not more bloodletting. The old patronage networks and caste systems had been abolished, but the streets ran red with blood, the old guard would get a new wind. The new order could not afford to alienate all representatives of the ancien régime. This caused tension when cultists turned to vigilante justice, which resulted in a number of them being detained. Other cultists tried to turn the site of Mystra's last stand into a place of pilgrimage, which proved problematic because the dark side energies that permeated it had a very detrimental effect on the sanity of sentient beings.
Finally, when it seemed like things would come to head, Qas'Ziru was unexpectedly granted a private audience with Siobhan Kerrigan. Tegaea was present at the audience, and became extremely uncomfortable when Ziru started worshipping her and prostrating herself before Siobhan. Siobhan, on the other hand, saw value in the cult. Ziru's reverence for her undoubtedly stroked her large ego. However, she laid down the law. The wild killings had to cease. She needed disciplined followers, not lawless vigilantes whose actions produced instability. She had cast down Mystra and, unlike her, she would turn her promises into a reality. Zisu and her acolytes could spread her word and be her sword. Ziru spent a day or two in the midst of her idol, then returned home to put the cult in order. The process was not bloodless, but she managed to forge it into a disciplined organisation.
Rumours that the Karishzar stood behind the group caused member numbers to soar. For a while, the Daughters had to institute a cap on new members, for they were concerned about being inundated with opportunists and fair-weather friends. Aristocrats and profiteers of the ancien régime were excluded from membership, for they were regarded as tainted. The cult began to pursue an educational mission, trying to learn as much about outsider technology as possible so that they could educate their people and thus improve their lives. Naturally, many also pursued martial vocations. Several members of the cult joined the militia or the Firemane auxiliary corps. The Firemane resident, Kaylah Danton, and Queen Lia continued to view the cult with concern. It is pertinent to note that the Daughters' devotion to Siobhan and her family did not translate into blind obedience to Firemane. The Daughters were loyal, but drew a distinction between their idol and the Firemane bureaucrats they had to deal with on a day-to-day basis. Ziru was devoted, but not above using her connection to Siobhan to advance her own interests and those of her flock.
The Daughters proved their resolve when they rallied around the flag during a Kraal raid on Tygara, aiding in the defence of the Underealm against the lizardmen. In this fight, a group of Daughters were immortalised in the cult's mythology when they met superior Kraal forces in battle, fighting to the last drop of blood. Their sacrifice bought time for the defenders to rally and defeat the assault. The cult hailed them as martyrs. The Daughters also took to the battlefield during an insurgency of die-hard Mystra fanatics. They took brutal vengeance when the insurgents captured, tortured and murdered a number of Daughters, who refused to recant their faith even under torture. These martyrdoms helped strengthen the cult.
It became apparent that the group was not about to vanish. They also competed with other Xioquo groups for influence, such as the Seekers of the Sky. This is a sect of Light Side adepts inspired by the example of Lia. Siobhan has alternated between staying aloof and intervening to ensure their jockeying does not get out of hand. Several Daughters in the auxiliary corps and other Firemane formations got the chance to leave the stars, often serving with distinction on the battlefield. One of their enthusiastic converts was a young Xioquo warrior called Karrigan'Xalda. The young woman had once been the slave-soldier of a cruel mistress. She became acquainted with Siobhan when her mistress sent her to the Firemane CEO as a 'gift' prior to the fall of the Underealm. In reality, Xalda had been given the task to poison Siobhan. But the Firemane leader had figured out her true purpose and managed to sway the young Xioquo to her cause. Xalda would eventually join the Order of Fire.
The Daughters also became rivals of the Cataphracts of the Ascending Phoenix. This is a Qadiri warrior cult that also worshipped Siobhan, regarding her as a daughter of Kashara, the chief goddess of the Qadiri pantheon. It was founded by a Qadiri warrior called Shandiyaa, who had served in the army of the Mirza of Lakish and fought the Xioquo during her mistress' failed assault on the Underealm, prior to the Firemane-led campaign. Siobhan and a Firemane task force had come to the aid of the Lakishi in that battle, saving them from disaster. Qadiri and Xioquo have been historical rivals for many centuries, and the age-old antagonism between them has not vanished over night. So both sects competed for Siobhan's favour. Bloodletting aside, Xioquo have an aptitude for technical professions, which has been helpful for adjusting to the larger Galaxy. Many have found employment maintaining the space habitats Firemane built, as they make good engineers and learn fast. The Daughters actively encourage their members to hone their technical prowess and familiarise themselves with human and Eldorai tech so that it can be adapted to the Xioquo's use.
The collapse of several galactic powers was a cause of concern to the leaders of the elves. They convened a summit, where it was decided that their people needed to expand beyond Tygara and seek new worlds. Firemane declared itself ready to sponsor these colonisation efforts as well as provide technical supports. Thus Daughters got to see the stars. They were assigned space to build a temple on the Arx, though they also established small congregations on colony ships. Time had not diminished the fire that burnt inside Quas'Ziru. She was certain that the hour of the Karish'zar Qis'khar'i'z would come.
A detachment of the Daughters fought under Firemane's banner on Tephrike. At first Firemane had tried to pursue diplomacy with the totalitarian, Jedi-led Dominion of Light. But the negotiations were sabotaged by extremists within the Dominion's government and the Firemane delegation was attacked. Elpsis Kerrigan-Alcori was captured by the Jedi Inquisition. Thus Firemane declared war. When faced with fanatical Jedi crusaders, Firemane decided to counter them with zealots of its own. Thus the Cataphracts and the Xioquo fanatics ended up facing warriors of the Dominion of Light.
Karrigan'Xalda saw action during the assault on Fortress Purity, a key Dominion citadel. She was dispatched by High Priestess Quas'Ziru herself. It was a fierce battle, as many Dominion troops fought to the last man and they deployed Force-Users in large numbers. Xalda's dedication and combat skills honoured her fellow Daughters. She was among the Firemane soldiers who entered the fortress after finally storming through the Dominion lines. This has made her a bit of a local heroine among the members of her local congregation.
Today, the Daughters of the Destroyer have declared their alliance with Firemane void, for it has been revealed that the megacorp was luring Xioquo workers to company towns and work camps to used as indentured servitors in conditions little better than slavery. Firemane plundered the resources of the Underealm, but the common Xioquo saw very little of the bounty. Some Heralds participated in an assault on one such work camp on the world of Arkas. The operation was led by Elpsis Kerrigan, the rebellious Fire Princess. The guards and supervisors were slaughtered by the enraged Xioquo warriors. Firemane's board announced it would carry out an investigation, blaming the slaving operations on a few rogue actors. Needless to say the sect did not buy this cover-up. With Elpsis having joined the Daughters as a sister, the Heralds prepare for a war of purgation and liberation.
Militant Daughters participated in the assault on Fort Kerrigan and the Battle of Suqua and occupied Firemane's embassy in Tlaxqui, which they correctly regarded as a centre of espionage and intrigue. The battle lines have been drawn, and the High Priestess has called upon the faithful to fight this war to the bitter end. It also changed their outlook on Siobhan. The Karishzar's mortal champion had been guided by the spirit and fused with her for a while, but her human failings meant she rebelled against the right path. There were Daughters who continued to collaborate with Firemane, justifying it with the argument that it was necessary for the survival of the Xioquo people and that one day Siobhan would awake and punish the dissenters. But they were cast out by a conclave chaired by the High Priestess. The ethos of the Karishzar would live on, and the Daughters would not submit to Firemane's tyranny.
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